NASA Asks Public to Provide Videos and Photos of Meteor (with photos of fresh finds)

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. - NASA and the SETI Institute are asking the public for more information to help find amateur photos and video footage of the daylight meteor that illuminated the sky over the Sierra Nevada mountains and created sonic booms that were heard over a wide area at 7:51 a.m. PDT Sunday, April 22, 2012.

NASA and SETI scientists are seeking photos and video footage to better analyze the trajectory of the meteor and learn about its orbit in space. This information will also help scientists to locate the places along the meteor path where fragments may have fallen to the ground.

NASA Ames and SETI Institute meteor astronomer Peter Jenniskens found a four-gram fragment of the meteor in a parking lot of Henningsen-Lotus Park, in Lotus, Calif., located on the American River not far from Sutter's Mill.

"This appears to be a rare type of primitive meteorite rich in organic compounds," Jenniskens said.

"We are very interested in this rare find," said Greg Schmidt, deputy director of the NASA Lunar Science Institute. "With the public's help, this could lead to a better understanding of these fascinating objects."

People who have photos or video of the meteorite are asked to contact Jenniskens at petrus.m.jennniskens@nasa.gov. Media interested in interviewing Jenniskens and viewing the fragment are asked to contact Karen Randall of the SETI Institute at 650-575-2229.